Staffordshire stonemason praised by Gordon Brown - Feb 2008

Ian Knapper has a reputation for creating beautiful stone fireplaces that are individually designed and handcrafted from fine natural stone.

One of Ian Knapper’s top stonemasons, George Plant, has finished sixth place out of 11 competitors in the worldwide stonemasonry field. His efforts were recognised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he travelled to Downing Street with Ian Knapper to attend a special celebration reception with 20 others who also represented the UK in the 2007 WorldSkills event in Japan.

Ian Knapper’s apprentice George Plant won the 2007 National Skillbuild competition earlier in the year, which allowed him to compete at international level at the WorldSkills competition in Japan. The WorldSkills Competition is the biggest skills competition in the world and is held every two years in one of its member countries. It sets world class standards in over 40 skills ranging from joinery to web design. George Plant now joins Stephan Woolley and Ian Knapper as winners in the WorldSkills competition in the stonemasonry category.

The Prime Minister said "I was delighted to meet the participants from WorldSkills 2007. What these young people have achieved with their commitment and determination to do well is outstanding, and it has placed them as superb role models. I pass on my heartfelt congratulations to the whole team for all of their efforts and wish them every success for the future."

Ian Knapper was delighted with George’s recent win. “I am extremely proud to have such a talented stonemason on my team. Our work is constantly gaining recognition and to have Gordon Brown personally congratulate George is just an amazing achievement."

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